Page 58 of Feral

Bring it back to the mission, Daphne.

“And when there’s an artifact involved, things can go very sideways. It doesn’t mean he’s bad, just that an artifact took advantage of his emotions.”

“Ya talk about them like they’re…well, alive.”

“In some ways they are. Some of them are relatively harmless. But the older ones? The ones that have been altered by strong emotions or significant historical events? Those can take on a life of their own. And if Reuben got a hold of one of those and it was a wish fulfillment artifact, one that might deal with passion or love? Then he might not even be able to control himself. The artifact could be the one driving him.”

“But Reuben wouldn’t have known about ya. I just told Angus on the train. Whoever sent them, knew before we left.”

“That’s true. So then we have to find that artifact before they do. And if they were willing to go to all this to stop me…”

My stomach dropped as a very obvious possibility occurred to me.

These people wouldn’t have gone to all this trouble for just a run of the mill seduction artifact. Whatever this was, it likely had the potential to cause things much worse than simply breaking up an engagement. And if that was case, then this all just became much more dire. I had to be realistic and view this dispassionately. And consider the fact that I might not be the best person to stop this rogue group.

Failure began to claw its way up my throat. I hadn’t been trained on field combat, and I couldn’t ask Fraser to be my bodyguard on top of everything else. I also couldn’t risk the safety of innocents just because my ego was hurting.

“I have to call this in,” I said, the words hard to get out. “The director might want someone else on this now, someone with more experience or…”

He seized my wrist before I could get my phone out of my bag. His hand was warm, and the claws that had been there before were gone, replaced by very short nails. When I looked into his eyes, there was an openness and warmth that I had only glimpsed before. Not only was he not hiding his true form from me, he was letting his kindness show too.

“I don’t want anyone else,” he said. “So ya tell her that, understand? Yer the one I want.”

My eyes widened as words failed me.

He’s talking about the job…He’s talking about the job…

I just kept saying it to myself over and over as the blush crept up my neck.

“Thank you, Fraser,” I said, gently taking my wrist from his hand. “But you don’t need to say that just to make me feel better. It might be for the best if— “

“I’m not. I’m sayin’ it because I like the way yer thinkin’ about this, and ya already started. It’s too late now to bring someone else in without raisin’ suspicion. Besides, I know ya can do this.”

“How?”

He shrugged, which looked odd and adorable in his true form.

“The same way ya know I’m trustworthy, I guess.”

I bit my bottom lip again and the flush took over my entire face.

“Thank you,” I whispered, looking at my hands in my lap.

When he didn’t answer, I glanced up and saw him staring at my mouth, his gaze now molten with hunger. He let out a long breath through his nose and met my gaze. Heat shot through me, and my body ached to feel him against me. The bite mark let out several of those pulses, all faster than I’d ever felt them before. For a second, it seemed like he was about to reach out for me and then his glamour went back up and he turned away.

“I think I should take a look around while ya make your call,” he said, getting to his feet. “Make sure no one is lurkin’.”

“Yes, that’s…that’s a good idea.”

I turned away and focused on digging my phone out of my tote bag.

“I’ll get dinner while I’m out,” he offered at the door.

“That would be lovely,” I said, not looking at him.

He didn’t move at first, and I saw him rub his palm against the leg of his pants before jerking the door open and racing out.

It took me a full ten minutes to calm the racing of my heart. I didn’t know what to think about Fraser’s behavior. Half of the time, I thought he was annoyed at my very presence, and the other half, I could swear he wanted to bend me over a piece of furniture and fuck me into oblivion.

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